Zutara
by AlineCee
Summary: The gAang have all gone their separate ways, but after a tragic incident in the Earth Kingdom, they are all brought together. Tragedy, drama, romance and suspense  all events occur after the end of the series
1. Chapter 1

It had been 2 years since the day when the gang had all been together. Katara missed them. A month after Aang had defeated Ozai, Katara had gone back to her tribe with Sokka and Aang had gone off to fully master the elements. Zuko and Mai had gone back to the fire nation, and were probably happily married by now. Katara was a bit upset about not being invited. Last month Suki and Sokka had finally gotten married and now everyone was expectant of Katara. One day, when Suki and Katara were talking, the topic came up.

"So Katara, when's Aang coming back?" Suki had asked

"I don't know, why?" Katara replied

"Oh you know, I was just wondering because like, everyone kind of had their happily ever after and you and Aang, well. . ."

"What about me and Aang? Do you expect me to be married or something? Remember Suki you and Sokka are 17. The age of marriage, Aang is still 14. I couldn't get married if I wanted to!" Katara yelled and stormed out.

'I guess that means you don't want to then' Suki thought after Katara had gone.

A month after this incident, Aang finally returned. First, he went to Chief Hakoda's house to see if Katara was home, she was.

"Aang!" Katara was shocked. She jumped up from her sewing and hugged him.

"Hey Katara. How've you been?" Aang asked.

"I've been fine Aang. What about you. Did you learn everything there is to learn? Was it exciting? Are you a master of everything now?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. Yes, yes and yes. I'm great Katara. What about Sokka and stuff, how is everyone?"

"They're great. Sokka and Suki got married and. . ."

"Really! How come I wasn't invited? When was it?"

"Yeah. Well we kind of didn't know where exactly you were. It was a couple of months ago"

And so they sat, talking about their time apart, and filling each other in. That night Hakoda threw a huge feast, and everyone was invited.

Aang stayed in the Southern Water Tribe for at least a month. One night he announced he had to leave.

"What! Where will you go?"

"I'm going to the Southern Air Temple. Teo and his father have moved there and are returning it back to its original beauty. We're leaving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow! But Aang you just came. And what do you mean 'we'?"

"Well I've been here for a while now, but I need to return home. And I had thought you would be coming with me. . ."

"Aang I can't go with you. This is my home. Like you, I have a place to call home that I can't leave behind."

"but I thought we were. . . like, together. I thought that you would want to come with me."

"I'm sorry Aang, but I'm not sure about how I feel about that situation. You were gone for so long, and. . . I'm sorry."

"I thought about this while I was gone. I had worried you might say that. But you're right, I guess its over then. It has been for a while. I just didn't want to see it. I will leave in the morning before anyone is awake. Goodbye Katara"

"Aang, I'm really sorry. Please stay until breakfast at least."

"I can't Katara, I won't cause you any more pain." And with that, he turned around and left to say goodbye to the rest of the tiny village.

Three months passed since Aang's departure. Katara wasn't surprised that she wasn't upset, but others were. One day when Katara was healing some of the injured in the sick tent. A fire nation messenger-hawk landed beside her. She pulled out the letter, it was tear stained, and from Zuko. She was worried, she quickly began to read,

Hello Katara,

I haven't written to you in a while I know. Sorry about that.

I was hoping you would come to the fire nation as soon as possible. Uncle Iroh has passed

Katara dropped the letter and began to cry.

"NO!" she cried "not Iroh! No!"

Through her tears, she managed to read the rest of the letter

And I thought you would like to be at his funeral. Could you please inform Sokka and Suki. I would also be thankful if you could write to Aang as well, because I could not locate him.

Zuko

Katara ran out to tell Sokka and Suki, leaving the patients confused.

An hour after telling Sokka and Suki, they were all packed and ready to leave. Katara almost forgot her letter to Aang and quickly scribbled it down.

To Aang,

I just got a letter from Zuko, Iroh has died. I don't know any details. Sokka, Suki and I are leaving to the fire nation today. Zuko wanted you to be at the funeral as well.

From Katara

She sent off the hawk that had delivered Zuko's letter, to Aang with her letter in its pouch. She then got on a boat with Sokka, Suki and her father, and they began their journey to the fire nation.


	2. Chapter 2

Katara got off the ship. It had been a long journey but she was finally at the fire nation.

She was just getting her land legs back when she heard someone shout out her name.

"Katara!"

She turned around. It was Zuko. She was pleased; she hadn't seen him in a while. Nevertheless, she was still sad to see him. When she saw Zuko, she remembered his uncle. He had been such a great man but now . . . he was gone.

"Katara," Zuko said again, "Katara you don't know how much I've missed you"

"I know" Katara replied, "For I have missed you just as much. Zuko smiled and pulled her into a hug.

"I love you Katara," Zuko said, and before Katara could protest, he kissed her.

Katara woke with a start. She looked around. She was still on the ship. In the dark, she saw the outlines of Sokka, Suki and Toph who they had picked up on the way. 'It's just a dream' Katara thought, 'just a dream'. She got up and left the room. She needed some fresh air.

Out on the deck, Katara thought about her dream. She wondered why she had dreamt of that. Maybe it was her secret desire. Maybe she loved Zuko. No, she thought. That would be stupid. 'You're the Zuko hater', she thought, 'you're the one he betrayed.' Katara put the thought to rest and thought about Iroh. She had missed him a lot since they had all gone their separate ways. Now the thought that she would never see him again suddenly hit her and she began to cry. She thought about how Iroh had helped her escape with Aang after Azula had attacked him. She thought about what a brave thing that was, going against your own flesh and blood to save someone else, just because they were on the 'good' team. She thought about his tea, and the great stories and jokes he would tell as they sat in his tea shop. She couldn't handle it anymore. She sat down and cried herself to sleep.

Katara woke up in the morning back in her bed in the room. She wondered how she got there. She got up slowly. Suki was sitting by her bed.

"Are you alright Katara? You had us worried there" Suki asked

"Yeah I'm fine but, how did I get here." Katara replied

"I woke up in the middle of the night for a glass of water, and noticed you were missing. I woke up Sokka and we looked around for you. I found you on the deck and when I woke you up you said 'he's gone' and started to cry. Sokka carried you back here. I guessed it was about Iroh."

"Yeah, Iroh" Katara said, and got up and got dressed and joined everyone else in the kitchens for breakfast.

Zuko was confused. 'Don't they get it' he thought, 'I want to have his funeral at the tea shop, why don't they get it?'. Zuko's advisors had been telling Zuko that this small request would not be allowed. When he asked why, they had said because General Iroh had been a royal, that his funeral must be at the Royal Palace. They said because Zuko was the Fire Lord, and closest to Iroh, that it must be at his house. Zuko had complained all day but still no one would budge. Finally he said,

"I am the Fire Lord and it is my decision that is final. My uncle's funeral will be held at his tea shop. I will be there with my uncle's and my own closest friends. There will be no one else there, least of all my advisors."

When Zuko went back to his room, still fuming about the day's events, he thought about what he had just said. 'My closest friends' he had said. He wondered if they would even come. He hadn't received a confirmation letter from Katara. When he thought her name, her face appeared in his mind. The last time he had seen her, or any of his friends for that matter, had been 2 years ago. In Zuko's memory, Katara was still a child. Merely 14 years old. He wondered what she looked like now. Next, he brought the image of Sokka in front of his eyes. Sokka was the closest to his own age. Sokka was 17 now, a year younger than he was. He wondered if Sokka had changed much. He remembered Sokka's jokes. Most of which hadn't been funny but they had all laughed most of the time, an unspoken deal between them to make Sokka feel better. They had known in those days that when Sokka was down, they all were. He hoped Sokka was still the same sarcastic meat loving Sokka as always. Zuko got up from his chair and went to the kitchens.

"Soon," he said to the cook's, "I will be having some guest over. In about 2 days, they will be here. I want you to go out and find the finest meats, of every sort, by then and make a great feast. I want every meat, chicken and fish too. This feast must be grand, grander than any other you have made before." He was about to leave when he remembered Aang, "and make some vegetarian dishes too. As you all know, the Avatar prefers not to eat meat." at the mention of the word Avatar, the cooks all went in to a frenzy, whispering to each other,

"did you hear that?"

"Did he just say Avatar?"

"Oh Spirits, the Avatar. This is amazing"

Zuko couldn't help but smile as he left.


	3. Chapter 3

Zuko had had some trouble sleeping in the days before his uncle's funeral. He didn't have much on his mind so he didn't understand why. On one of his sleepless nights, voices broke the perfect silence of the midnight hour. Zuko got up and pulled on a robe. In the pitch black of night he fumbled around the room and managed to find the door. He went out to investigate. He went down several of the long corridors of the palace. Eventually he found the source of the sound. It was from the western gate. He hid in the shadow of a pillar and listened closely.

"Wow. I forgot how big it was" a familiar voice spoke

"It's been so long" a man's voice

"That's all great but can we go in now. I'm really tired, I can barely keep my eyes open" Zuko smirked

"It's not like you need to"

"Shut up guys, you'll wake everyone up"

Still smirking, Zuko walked out from behind the pillar. He was shocked; they all looked so different _

When their long trip was finally over, Katara, Sokka, Suki and Toph all took a long walk to the fire nation palace. They were all tired and it was getting late. Katara could not have been more relieved when the palace was in sight. After saying only hello, they had made it past the guards at the gate. They must have been informed about visitors. Katara didn't want to wake anyone in the palace up and tried to be quiet as a guard led them to their rooms. Much unlike her obnoxious companions who had started to have a loud conversation.

"I can barely keep my eyes open" Toph was saying

"It's not like you need to" Sokka retorted. Toph was about to bite back but Katara stopped her

"Shut up guys," she said, "you'll wake everyone up"

Just then, a figure stepped out from behind a pillar. It was Zuko, but Katara could hardly recognise him. He had matured so much. His hair was untraditionally short, which Katara thought suited him. He looked very tired and like he hadn't shaved in a few days. Katara laughed inside at the memories of Sokka's first shave. She wished everybody hadn't been apart for so long.

Zuko was looking at them all, taking in every inch of them. He looked shocked. Katara wondered what was wrong. But she couldn't ponder too long,

"Hey Sparky, what you been hiding for?" Toph, being Toph, was the first to break the awkward silence, "That's a mighty long walk you took from your room, this place must be huge" Zuko smiled

"Hello Toph. It's wonderful to see you too. Thank you for asking, I've been well" he replied

"Not a problem" Toph grinned

Zuko invited them all in and showed them to their rooms. They would talk in the morning.

The next day Zuko couldn't have been more excited. He didn't know why. He knew that his guests had only come for his uncle's funeral, and that this was a time for pain, not joy, but he couldn't help it. He had been so lonely of late, that some company was like a dream come true. Especially when this company came in the form of old friends.

At breakfast that morning, everyone took the time to fill each other in on the details of the past couple of years. Good stories and bad stories were told. After breakfast, Zuko had some meetings to attend to so his guests were left alone to roam the palace and its immense gardens.

At lunchtime, the good memories came out to play. Memories of a time before Zuko had so much to worry about, before he was fire lord. He wasn't pleased about some of the memories of his behaviour. Times when he had tried to kill them. He thanked the spirits he had gotten over that and made some wonderful friends.

At dinner that evening, Toph asked Zuko the question he had been trying to avoid the most. His heart sunk when he heard the words

"Sparky I haven't see Mai around. Where is she?"

"She...uh...she...her...uh cousin, yes, her cousin passed away recently. She went to the Earth Kingdom colonies to be with her family" Zuko replied nervously

"Oh, that's really sad," Katara said, "that both of you lost people dear to you in such a short time. Must be really hard on both of you"

"Yeah" said Zuko, trying to sound upset, "it's hard, but we're OK"

"Sorry guys, you'll have to finish up alone, I have something to attend to" Zuko said and quickly left. He had somehow managed to survive. He hadn't panicked or messed up, he thought everything would be fine. Toph who cornered him in the corridor ruined his hopes.

"Sparky I know you were lying back there, what's going on?" she said firmly

"What do you mean?" Zuko replied

"All that fluff you made up about Mai, where is she really? And why did you lie?"

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about. That was all true. What is wrong with you?"

"Zuko when you spoke those words your heart was beating so fast I thought it would break out of your chest. Why did you lie to us? Seriously, if you broke up, just tell us. We're your friends for spirits sake"

"Yes, you're right, I lied. But don't tell anyone. It's a long story and I don't want to go into it right now" Toph looked suspicious

"Please" he pleaded. Toph nodded and he went to hide in his room.


	4. Chapter 4

Katara Stepped outside the Palace gates for the first time in 3 days. There was a huge Fire Nation air-ship hovering a few feet off the ground outside. She pulled her cloak tighter around her chest against the harsh winds. She took one last look at the Palace and let a soldier help her in to the ship. Today she, Sokka, Suki, Toph and Zuko would be flying to the Earth Kingdom for Iroh's funeral. Zuko had somehow persuaded his 'people' to let him have the funeral in Iroh's own home, instead of the Fire Nation where he 'belonged'.

The ship was empty for the time being. There were two other ships next to the one she got into. This one was slightly smaller than the other two, but still bigger than any other she had seen. She was shocked to find Zuko climbing onboard a minute later.

"Why are you here?" she asked him

"Don't you want me to be? I can change if you'd like" he replied, offended

"No, that's not what I meant. I just thought I would be with Sokka or Toph"

"Well Sokka and Suki are together with a couple of soldiers, you need at least 2 fire benders onboard to run these. And Toph got on the one with all the baggage so there was no other room on there with the soldiers. And there was only you and I left. The soldiers will be joining us shortly"

"Why do you need two fire benders, can't you just have one?"

"You can't expect a bender to keep bending all day and all night for 3 days straight. You would know that you need to take a break sometimes."

"Oh sorry, I didn't consider that"

"It's ok" and just on time, like it was planned. The soldiers came on and started the fires and they were off. For most of the time, Katara sat on one end alone and Zuko the other. Katara tried to speak a couple of times but when Zuko made no effort to keep up the conversation, she figured he was grieving and gave up her attempts.

Katara kept trying to speak to Zuko for the majority of the first day, but he wasn't interested. He just needed some time to think. Sure he had 2 months since Mai had left, but he tried to keep occupied and leave no time to think. Just when he thought he had forgotten about her, they brought her up again. Now, while he had nothing to occupy himself with, he let himself think.

He remembered a time when he had hated her. Another when he had thought absolutely nothing of her, when he was just one of Azula's friends. Then he remembered the time when he had truly loved her, when he could think of no one but her. Now the hatred had begun to grow again. He wondered where it went, all the hatred in the beginning. He wondered what he had done to make her do what she did, to make her bring back the hatred once more. He questioned himself. Was it his behaviour, his actions toward her? He didn't remember ever hurting her once. Maybe he said something, while they bickered, something small that made her go off. All these thoughts that were welled up inside where finally let free. All the memories of Mai that he had tried to hide, to lock away all came ack. He missed her, that was true, but he didn't know if he wanted her back anymore.

The memories became too much. He was happy to be facing away because he couldn't help but cry. He didn't sob or wail. He just let the tears run down. Salty, warm and wet, running down his cheeks, over his scar.


	5. Chapter 5

Iroh's funeral was beautiful. Nearly the whole Earth Kingdom attended. The Order of the White Lotus were first to pay their respects. They and Zuko carried Iroh's coffin up to the hill where Iroh's son was buried. Each member told the story of the day they met Iroh. Each story was different, but each the same. Some were short, some were long. Some were funny and some sad. Some spun tales, some said it bluntly. But there was one thing they all had in common. Each story wasn't a tale of a happy old man. Every story described a passionate man. A man who cared for others. Not just for those who loved him, and not just for those he loved. But for everybody, even a stranger and even an enemy. They were stories of a cheerful man, with fables to tell and songs to sing. A story of a brave father, continuing his own journey, even after his son's was abruptly ended. They were stories of a man who was peaceful and wanted serenity, a man who loved his tea. These were stories of a true hero. A hero not only to his family. A hero much greater than that. A hero not to his friends. A hero much greater than that. A hero not only to his nation. A hero much greater than that. These were stories of a hero to all. To all nations. This was a day to remember a true hero.

After the emotional tsunami caused by the speeches of Iroh's close friends, when people had calmed down, Zuko stepped up.

"I would firstly like to thank each and every one of you for coming here today. I would like to thank you for helping me to remember my uncle in such an honourable man. My uncle was truly a great man. I knew this, for I travelled with him for a very long time. I do admit, for most of our travels I found my uncle annoying. He was a nuisance, constantly pestering me with silly and useless sayings. It is only now, now that I realise, that in a moment of trouble he won't be there to say something to help me through. It is only now that I realise how right he was. Always. He always knew the right way. But apart from his sayings, just his strength, courage and support were things I always took for granted. The more time I spent away from him afterwards, the more I began to truly appreciate his greatness and nobility. I understood what good he had done for me. and up until this very moment, I didn't realise that he could be any greater than I already perceived him to be. But now I realise, it wasn't only me that he helped. I can say that just by being here to remember him today, you have helped me realise. You have helped me realise that each of you has been touched by him. Even if were just a hot cup of tea or some wise words hidden beneath a joke, he has helped you, and you have realised. So thank you all. Thank you all for coming, thank you all for seeing him. Thank you for having memories of this man. Thank you" Zuko turned around and started to cry.

Katara could hardly see now from the tears in her eyes, but during Zuko's speech, she had seen something that touched her more than words. During his speech, Zuko had shed a tear. It was small but it was there, and Katara knew that single tear would make Iroh happier than ever. And that thought pushed her over. The tears she had tried to hold back before came back. She allowed the floodgates to open. She allowed herself to cry. She wave of tears and sobs took over. She started to shake. Her knees gave way and so she sat. And through her tears and all her grief, for some reason, she was happy. She couldn't help but smile. She realised all eyes would be on her but she didn't care. The shaking and tears stopped and she wiped the river off her face, and smiled. Iroh had been buried and people were still crying. But all the way to their dwelling for the night she smiled.

Because she was trying to be like Iroh. What good would tears do? Right now, Iroh was buried, he could rest. If he were here, he would smile too. She tried to explain herself to the others, but they didn't understand, only Zuko did, and he smiled too.

"Thank you Katara, thank you" Katara simply smiled at him.


	6. Chapter 6

A week had passed since Iroh's funeral. Everyone was happier and slowly starting to forget about the pain. For most of their stay, Zuko hadn't been able to join them. He constantly had meetings and places to be. From the times when he had been with them, Katara noticed something wasn't right. He was acting a bit strange and avoided some topics. He also seemed to have some trouble using his left arm. The more she watched the more in pain he looked. One day, she decided to go and ask him what was up. She looked around the meeting rooms first, and he wasn't there. She walked around the whole palace but she couldn't find him. She asked one of the maids where he was,

"Excuse me, hi" she said

"Yes ma'am"

"I was just wondering, do you know where Zuko is?"

"I'm not certain, but the Firelord may be in his room, or study in the 3rd floor. But I think today he was scheduled to meet some soldiers in town and may not be here"

"Thank you" Katara smiled and walked toward the stairs.

Katara wondered why someone would need so many levels. There was the lower basement floor where the kitchens were. The first floor with the entrance hall, meeting rooms and library. The second floor had the guest rooms and an entertainment room. And upstairs must be reserved for the Firelord. A whole floor to himself. Must be great, she thought. She finally made it up the stairs and stopped. There was a great lounge, with walls draped in fine red silk. There were large sofas and one wall was covered in books, a private library. She hesitantly knocked on the one of the doors on the other end of the room. When there was not reply, she decided to go in. The room was huge, and a bed bigger than any she had seen was against the opposite wall. This must be Zuko's bedroom Katara walked in and stood by the window. From here, she had a perfect view of the palace gardens. They were so green and lush. She walked out and closed the door behind her. she knocked on the next door. Again, there was no reply. She opened the door to a study. There was a grand desk in the middle of the room. The room was very bright with windows on each wall. The desk was cluttered with papers, pens and other things. One thing on the table caught her attention. It was a book, bound in otter-penguin skin. This book was from her tribe, she had a few of her own. She remembered that this was the gift her father had given Zuko when he left for the fire nation after the war a few years ago. She was happy that he was using it. She opened the book and read the first page, it was a journal. The first page was of the day Zuko had turned 18. He had found the book when cleaning up the study and decided to use it. He told of gifts he had received.

Katara found it adorable that Zuko kept a journal. She flicked passed a few months and came to the day when they had arrived at the fire nation. Zuko seemed very happy. About this. As she read down the page, something made her stop. She read the passage several times, and still couldn't believe what she had just read.

I cant believe how much everyone has changed. Yet somehow, they are all the same. Aang isn't here, but Katara, Sokka, Suki and Toph are. Just seeing them I almost felt like crying. I had been so sad lately and seeing them really made me happy.

Toph had grown taller and was a little more feminine. Sokka looked bolder and Suki was pretty much the same. Katara had grown and matured so much. I couldn't believe how pretty she was. I guess I never really looked at her properly. Her and Aang must be happy. And Sokka and Suki too. Ugh, I'm so jealous of them.

When Mai was still here we were never like them. She was always bored or angry. She did have her good moments, but they were rare. I guess I miss her though, she helped me keep calm, she was my first love. But, after what happened I'm going to have to move on. Maybe I could be happy with someone else. Who am I kidding. I was destined for misery at birth.

She wondered where Mai had gone, and mostly, what she had done. but tht wasn't the thing that made her reread the entry. It was the bit before that, the bit about her being pretty. She never really thought of herself as pretty. She guessed she looked OK when she dressed up, but...pretty. and Zuko, for Zuko to think that was a pretty big compliment.

But one thing had saddened her. the fact that Zuko thought she and Aang were a happy couple. It wasn't true. She never really felt a strong pull toward Aang. She had liked him, and mostly found him amusing. But love, that wasn't the right word for her feelings. He was so young and innocent. He was still learning. And with his duty as the Avatar, he was hardly around.

She felt lonely all of a sudden. She felt Zuko's pain when she saw Sokka ans Suki. They were perfect together. She wanted that too.


	7. Chapter 7

Finally alone, he cried. He had so many things to attend to because of who he was, so many of other peoples issues to deal with, he hadn't had a chance to think about himself, and his own situation. In his room, he sat in front of the solitary candle. He let the build up of all his emotions flow through him. He thought about the things that had truly affected him;

Finding out he was the avatar

Finding out about the 100 year war

Realising he was the last of his kind

Seeing the air temples empty and lifeless

Thinking he had lost Appa forever. And the most recent,

Katara leaving him

Didn't she understand it wasn't his fault? Didn't she know it killed him to leave her behind, to be alone for months on end? It wasn't like he wanted to. But he had to, it was his duty. Why couldn't she see that? Why couldn't she see that he loved her, truly loved her. He loved everything about her. But obviously the feelings weren't mutual. Aang opened his eyes from his meditation to realise it wasn't working. He was breathing heavily and muttering under his breath. He focused on calming himself down.

He decided to go back to Katara, to apologize, and if that didn't work, he knew exactly the things he would say to her.

On the evening of Zuko's return, after dinner, Katara was taking a walk around the castle when she bumped into him,

"Oh, Katara, there's something I've been meaning to ask you" Zuko said. Katara thought about the letter, about him thinking she was beautiful. In fact, that's all she had thought about these past few days.

"Uh, yes Zuko, what is it?" she asked suspiciously

"How long did you guys plan to stay?" he asked

"Sorry, have we overstayed our welcome?" she replied, slightly offended

"Oh no, no, no! I was simply curious"

"Oh, ok then. Well we had actually planned to stay until Iroh's funeral. But we've been here for a while longer than that, I don't actually know"

"Oh ok"

"I could ask the others, I'm quite happy to stay a few more days, but anytime they want to go, I'm ready"

"Ok. Thank you. Goodnight then" he said simply, and walked away

"Goodnight" she said, slightly confused by the conversation, and went back to her room.

What was that you idiot. Where did that come from. Are you insane? She thought you didn't want them there. She thought you wanted her to go. How could you be such an idiot?

Back in his room, Zuko sat down and questioned his actions. Why had he said that to her for. She probably thought she wasn't wanted now. She probably thought he hated her. What a fool he was. And then he wondered why on earth he cared so much what she thought. I mean seriously, he thought, she's you're friends she'll understand. And On that thought, he went to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Zuko walked into the meeting room very early in the morning. He had been up all night thinking about what he was going to say. He hadn't slept at all. As soon as his room lit up with the orange glow of the sunrise, he changed into his clothes and went up to the meeting room. He didn't have breakfast, his mind was too full of other thoughts to think of hunger. He sat at the head of the table, but soon got up and started pacing up and down the room.

Should he really do this? Was this the right thing to do? Will everyone agree? Would uncle Iroh agree? Would his friends agree? Why was he doing this?

A thousand thoughts whirred around his head. He was about to go and find his advisors himself when they finally walked in. They were all happy. This made Zuko angry

"please sit down" he said when they were standing at the door talking

"Now!" yelled when they all but ignored him. They quickly sat in their seats

"Yes my Lord. What is this urgent meeting about?" one of them asked

"It's about me. I have been thinking quite a lot lately, and I've finally made up my mind"

"About what sir?" another asked

"About my role as Fire Lord. I've decided to step down from the role"

"What!" the advisors all yelled at once. Zuko waited for them to calm down

"It is too much responsibility for a young man of my age. Also because I truly don't want to do this anymore."

"You cannot my Lord. You can't just quit"

"I'm the Fire Lord here, I make up the rules"

"But sir"

"No. I said I will resign and my word is final. I will not speak of this again. Make the arrangements necessary as quickly as possible. I don't want to wait very long. And you can't tell anybody. i will personally announce it to the nation" with that, he got up and left before he had time to change his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

Katara was practising some water bending while taking a bath when she heard a knock at the door

"Madam Katara," the person said, "Fire Lord Zuko has announced an urgent meeting. He asked for me to tell his friends"

"Oh...Tell him I'm coming"

"Yes madam" and the girl turned to leave

"Wait!" Katara yelled

"Yes?"

"Where is this meeting?"

"He has called upon the whole nation, so it will be on the outside balcony"

"Ok, thank-you"

Katara finished washing and got dressed as quickly as she could. She made her way toward where she thought the balcony was, some kind servants directed her to the other end of the palace when she went outside and found nothing. When she finally got to the balcony, a huge crowd had gathered. At the front of the crowd, in front of the ring of guards, there were a few seats. Officials and advisors occupied most, but she saw an empty one next to Sokka and Toph who both looked as puzzled as she felt.

"Do you know what's going on?" Sokka asked when she sat down

"Nope, I was gonna ask you the same thing" she replied

"Hmm..."

"He had been acting a bit odd recently, I was wondering what was up. Looks like we'll find out now" said Toph

"yeah, I noticed that too" agreed Katara. Suddenly the crowd was silent, a guard came out and announced Zuko.

Zuko's heart was beating like crazy. He felt sweat down his back. He was still uncertain about his decision. He didn't know what the nation would think. And most importantly, what his friends would think. He wished his uncle were still here so he could ask him what to do. The normally annoying words of wisdom were all he wished for right now. he heard the crowd hush, and a guard announce his name. He stepped out into the blearing hot sun, unable to see anything from the blinding light. Maybe it was a good thing. He wouldn't have to see people's reactions to what he was about to say.

When Zuko stepped out, he stood in silence for a few minutes. Katara was bursting with anticipation. She looked to her right and left. Toph was staring into space, and Sokka was biting his nails. She wondered where Suki was, but she didn't have enough time to ponder, Zuko started to talk.

"I'm sorry I called upon you all so suddenly, but I have something very urgent to tell you." he paused and took a big breath

"This week will be my final week as Fire Lord," another big breath "I am retiring from the role"

"What!"

"Who will be our Fire Lord?"

"Why?" The cries of shock and outrage came from every corner of the nation. Katara didn't say anything. She didn't know how she felt. To her right, Toph was laughing and on her left Sokka was on his feet shaking his fist and yelling the same questions as everyone else. Zuko waited for the crowd to quiet down. Katara noticed her mouth was open and closed it before Zuko began to talk again,

"I am resigning because I don't think I am the right person for this role" Zuko said over another wave of outrage

"HEY! Let the guy speak, he's trying to answer your questions. Shut the hell up!" Toph yelled after raising herself on a rock platform. She put it back down when the crowd became silent

"Ah...thank you. As I was saying, I cannot handle the responsibility. I am too young to have such great duties to attend to, such huge responsibility placed on my shoulders. I'm sorry about this, I can see it has caused great distress. But the new Fire Lord will be wiser and more mature than I could ever dream to be. He will be a great leader to the nation."

"Who is it?" a man called out. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the big announcement

"The new Fire Lord is..." Zuko said, pausing shortly


	10. Chapter 10

Katara held her breath. A new fire lord, she couldn't believe it, but she could save being shocked for later, at the moment she was curious. Curious to find out who could possibly be the new Fire Lord. She was about to yell out when Zuko opened his mouth

"The new fire lord will be," he paused, "My cousin, Sezai"

There was a great murmur from the crowd. Everyone wondered who this Sezai was. Nobody knew the Fire Lord had any sane, living relatives. This came as a great shock. Katara almost didn't believe him. She wondered how he could know about a cousin of his and not tell them.

"He is older and more mature than I am. For those of you who are confused, he is my father's sister's son. I only found him recently, but I think he will be a great ruler" and with those words, he stepped back inside, away from the roars of outrage from the crowd.

Zuko had made his decision, and he didn't want anybody to interfere with it. He quickly went to his room to try and get as far away from all the noise as he could. Finally, he closed the door behind him and lay down on his bed. The silence was amazing. He lay down and thought a bit about what he had said, about their reactions. But honestly, he couldn't bring himself to feel guilty. Sure, it was their country, and it would affect their lives, but what about him. He couldn't handle the pressure anymore. His brain hurt from the thoughts whirring around his head. He got up and sat at his desk. He noticed his journal. He flicked through a few pages. He looked at the things he had written about Mai, about how he loved her, it made him sick. He didn't want to have to see those words ever again, he burned the book and threw the ashes in his and out the window, happily watching them fly away. Mai, he wondered where she was now, what she was doing.

He took off his formal clothing, he was feeling very hot. After changing into a pair of comfortable pants, he examined his left arm. There was a huge red gash running the length of his forearm, it was healing, it would blend into his skin tone soon, but it was still ginger when he touched it or when he moved his arm the wrong way. He walked over to the mirror and examined his other scars. Right over his heart was the mark left from Azula. It was still slightly pink but it was mostly invisible, a scar. He turned around and looked over is shoulder at the many small scars left on his back and arms from battles and travel. Finally, he walked right up to the mirror and looked at the scar on his face. He had no reason to wonder why Mai had gone. Looking at himself now, there was nothing about him that could be loved. He was completely disfigured; every inch of his body was covered in scars. He sighed and pulled on a simple shirt, making sure to cover his arm, he didn't want his friends to worry or start asking questions. He went to the next room to read a book, but he couldn't stop thinking about other things long enough to concentrate. He decided to go downstairs and get something to eat.


	11. Chapter 11

Zuko awoke the next morning to a sharp tap on his door.

"Hmn. Yeah, what" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes to try and wake up, a servant walked in,

"My Lord your...ah...your cousin Sezai has arrived. He is in the entrance hall"

"Oh," said Zuko, suddenly wide-awake, "that was quick. Ah...tell him to wait in my office"

"Yes Sir"

Already, Zuko thought. He was supposed to come in two days time. He quickly washed his face and got dressed. After placing his hair in a knot, he made his was downstairs to his formal office.

Sitting in the chair across the table was a big, muscular man. He was about a head taller than Zuko, and twice as wide. He was wearing his hair in a knot and had travel clothing on.

"Zuko" he stood up and bowed when Zuko walked in

"Sezai, you are early," Zuko said coldly

"Yes. I apologize, I thought I might come in and get to know the place better before i ah..."

"Before you are instated as Fire Lord" Zuko finished for him then took his place behind the desk. Sezai also sat down

"Zuko I'm sorry. Look, if you don't want to do this, I really don't mind. Of course, I was beside myself when you found me and asked me to take this role, but you seem cold to me. Like you don't like me...I..."

"No! I do not have anything against you. It's just...I've got a lot on my mind. It's true, I'm still not sure, but I'm still going through with this. I'm sorry Sezai, I should be the one apologizing. This should be a happy day; it's great to see you after so long"

"Yes, it is great" Zuko stood up

"Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends"

"You mean the great Team Avatar"

"Ha ha ha, yes, Team Avatar. I didn't realise anybody actually called it that"

"Is the Avatar himself here too"

"No, he...couldn't make it to-to-to, to the funeral"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. I'm sorry"

"He was your uncle too"

"Yes, but I never actually saw him, only when I was a young child. I didn't have the same connection with him as you did"

"Never mind that. It's passed. You should be happy, excited. This is your moment, enjoy it. Now come on, I'll introduce you to my friends" and they walked out happily.

Katara was laughing at Sokka's impersonation of a man from their village when Zuko and another man walked in. Katara wondered who he was, their eyes locked on each other. He was very tall and seemed to be quite muscular. But the first thing she noticed was his face. He was quite handsome, but that wasn't it. There was some solemnity to him, a look of great knowledge. He looked like a man with wise words, a man who knew everything but would act as if he knew nothing. A complex man. A man that was intelligent, but too humble to admit it. This man reminded her of Iroh and she felt a tear run down her cheek, she looked down

"Katara, what is it?" Sokka asked

"What? What's wrong?" Zuko asked

"Hey, what's the matter?" asked Toph

"I-I-uh, nothing, nothing" She wiped away her tear, looking up at Zuko, "Who's this" she said indicating the man with her hand

"This is my cousin Sezai" he said and paused. When nobody responded, "He will be Fire Lord at the end of the week"

"Oh..." they all said

"Thanks guys, no really, thanks for listening" Zuko said sarcastically. Sokka laughed

"Sorry man" and then he added, "Hey, welcome to the Fire Nation, I'm Sokka" to Sezai

"Thanks-you" Sezai replied, Katara frowned

"Sorry Zuko. And hi Sezai, I'm Katara" Sezai smiled

"That speech was a big thing for me, and you guys didn't even listen

"Sorry Zuko, I was listening, I just seemed to have forgotten that one minor detail"

"Minor? How is the name of our next Fire Lord a minor detail?" Zuko started to raise his voice

"I'm sorry. Our next Fire Lord, in case you forgot, I'm not from around here and you have no reason to yell at me"

"Ugh! Why don't you just-"

"Zuko!" Toph yelled. Everyone turned and looked at her, "If you don't calm down your heart is gonna explode, it got really fast man" Zuko was breathing heavily

"I-I'm sorry Katara, I've had a lot of stress lately, I-I'm going to go get some rest"

"But it's like, morning" Sokka said, Toph punched him

"Let him go, he's obviously freaking out. He needs time alone" She whispered as Zuko walked out, leaving Sezai alone

"So hey, Sezai right? Welcome to our circle, how's it going buddy, sit down, relax, we don't bite" Toph said, trying to make him feel more comfortable

"Thanks" Sezai responded, sitting down nervously

"Sho Shezai," said Sokka through a mouthful of meat, "Ya hungwy, vere's plenny to eat"

"No thanks. I ate on the way"

"Suit yourself" said Sokka stuffing more meat in his mouth, they all laughed

"Wha?" he asked which made them laugh even more

They spent the rest of the morning introducing each other and explaining their backgrounds, 'Team Avatar' tried to get as much information about Sezai as they could.


	12. Chapter 12

Katara was finding it a bit difficult to sleep so she got up and went down to the kitchen to get a bite to eat. She was walking down a long, dark corridor when she bumped into something-or rather someone.

"Oh sorry I didn't see you there" it was Sezai

"Oh Sezai. It's ok, I should apologize, I didn't see you either"

"Where are you going at this time of night?"

"I could ask you the same thing" she replied suspiciously

"Oh, I couldn't sleep so I just took a walk"

"I couldn't sleep either; I was getting something to eat"

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"No I don't mind, come on" she said and they both walked to the kitchen.

Zuko lay awake in his bed, unable to sleep from the thoughts all whirring around in his head. He needed to do something to forget everything: he needed a break. He needed something to distract him from thinking. He got up and lit the torches hanging on the wall. He knelt down next to his bed and peered under it. He pulled out two bottles and placed them on his desk. He pulled the cork off one and took a skull. He'd taken a few bottles up to his room when Mai had first left, now he was depressed again, this seemed the perfect time to finish what was left over. He sat down at the desk and drank some more. He pulled out a piece of paper and a pot of ink. He dipped his finger in the ink and start drawing blue swirls on the paper. They reminded him of the Water Tribe and of Katara. The alcohol was starting to get to him and he realised he wasn't thinking straight. He looked at the bottle and realised it was empty; he laughed sadly to himself and opened the other bottle.

Katara sat alone in the kitchen, Sezai had gone up to bed a while ago and she was alone with her thoughts now. Katara thought about how the Fire Nation would be with Sezai as the Fire Lord. From their conversation tonight, Katara noticed that he wasn't a very intelligent person. He seemed simple. He was very humble, and a lovely person, he just didn't seem like the type of person to rule a nation. Katara jumped, she heard a loud banging noise coming from upstairs. She quickly ran up to see what had happened.

When she got upstairs, she was completely out of breath. She looked around but in the darkness, she couldn't see anything. She noticed some warm light creeping out from under Zuko's door, she wondered if he was OK. She knocked on the door,

"Zuko?"

"Yes, come in" he replied from inside. He sounded fine. Katara walked in cautiously

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, why?"

"Oh, I heard a loud sound from downstairs, I thought something might have happened"

"Oh that was just the bottle. I dropped it accidentally. Did I wake you?"

"No, I was in the kitchen, I couldn't sleep"

"Yeah me too"

"And that's why you're drinking?"

"Oh that. Yeah, I had a lot on my mind"

"Oh ok. Do...you want to talk about it?"

"Uh...I don't think you care about my problems" Katara sat on the huge bed and patted the space beside her,

"Come on, I'm awake anyway" Zuko sighed and lay down on the bed

"It's Sezai; I'm not sure about him"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know if I made the right decision. I don't know if he's the right person for the job"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Katara lied, "you share the same blood and if you're anything to go by, he'll be great" Zuko blushed

"Thanks" he mumbled. Katara smiled

"And besides, it's done now, you can't change your mind now, you've come so far. Just, think about other things"

"I can't, that's the problem. And when I do think about something different...I think about...her"

"Mai?"

"Yeah"

"I'm sorry to pry, but..." Katara left the sentence hanging

"What happened?" Zuko finished it for her

"Yeah" Zuko sighed again

"She cheated"

"What!"

"She'd been going out a lot and one day when I was in town on some march, I saw her"

"Saw her?"

"She was sitting in a tea shop with another guy, and then he leaned over and kissed her"

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry" Zuko looked down

"Yeah" Zuko began to take his shirt off

"Uhm...What are you doing?"

"Oh sorry, it's just; it's very hot in here"

"Actually I'm cold"

"Oh... It's probably the alcohol. Do you mind?"

"Ah... No its fine" Zuko took off his shirt then lay back down. He pulled Katara's arm so she would lie down too

"Lie down" Katara's eyes grew

"Oh goodness!" she exclaimed

"What?"

"Your arm"

"My arm?" Zuko looked at his arm and saw the massive red scar down his forearm "Oh that"


	13. Chapter 13

Zuko woke up and yawned, but he felt something holding his chest because it didn't rise. He opened his eyes and looked down. He nearly jumped when he saw Katara lying there. She had her bare arm wrapped around him and half of her torso was on him. He tried to think back to last night, to how she could possibly be in his bed. He looked around quickly, to make sure that this was in fact his bed, in his room. It was. He looked back down. Katara was sleeping soundly, her hair concealing her face and body. He panicked for a minute and opened the sheets, thankfully, she was wearing her dress, although at some point during the night it had ridden up to her hips, exposing long, tan legs, and fallen of her shoulders. He was also thankful that his pants were still on. He pulled the sheet back over Katara and tried to wriggle out from under her. She mumbled something and squeezed him tighter. He stopped moving and lay still. Slowly, the memories came back.

_Zuko felt Katara's cool finger run up his forearm, down his scar_

_"Zuko what happened?" she asked again_

_"When Mai was leaving she...uh...well you know she's always been good with knives"_

_"What made her do that?"_

_"Well I chased her as she ran away and she turned around and threw the knife at me"_

_"Goodness Zuko, why didn't you tell me sooner, I could've fixed this up for you?"_

_"I'm sorry, I just didn't want you guys to worry."_

_"Worry about what?"_

_"Me"_

_"Don't be silly. I won't be a minute. Stay put"_

_Zuko got up and had some more to drink, he wondered where she went. Soon enough she came back with a bowl of water in her hands, Zuko lay back down and she placed the bowl on the bedside table. Without a word, she bent some water out of the bowl and made watery gloves around her hands. She placed her hands on his arm. The cool water and Katara touch made Zuko shiver. He closed his eyes and let Katara do her work. After she was satisfied with his arm, he felt the water lift off his skin, but the healing wasn't over yet. He felt the cool water on his chest_

_"Zuko, do you mind if I try a new technique?"_

_"What is it?"_

_"Well I've been working on healing injuries that are already healed. I've managed to make a few small scars disappear, but nothing to this scale. Plus, I feel I owe you something for jumping in front of me"_

_"Uh...Yeah sure, try it. And don't worry about that, it was nothing"_

_"It was hardly nothing"_

_"Katara I really don't want to talk about it"_

_"Right, sorry" she said and went back to her healing. Zuko closed his eyes again, the cool water on his chest was a lovely sensation._

Zuko opened his eyes and lifted his arm. The gash was no longer red, it wasn't even pink. It was the same tone as his skin and a barely visible, hair-thin line. He smiled at Katara's excellent skills. He looked down at his chest. From what he could see, the scar had shrunk a great deal, but he could still see bits of red from under Katara's hair.

_Katara had a hard time holding in the girly giggles she felt coming on as she healed Zuko's chest. She tried to concentrate on the task at hand, but found it difficult with the body that was in front of her. He was so muscular, so lean, it made her giggle. But she felt sorry for him. The pain he must have suffered to get all the scars he has now. Apart from the huge scars on his face, chest and arm, he had hundreds of tiny scars on his shoulders and all down his torso. Poor Zuko, she thought._

_she finished healing as much as she could and put the water back in the bowl. There was still a scar there, but at least it was smaller. She lay back down on the bed_

_"Thanks Katara" Zuko said, pulled her in for a hug_

_"I-I-I you're welcome" she blushed and tried to squirm away, but Zuko wasn't letting her go_

_"Thanks for everything, not just today. Thanks for everything over the years. How can I repay you for everything you've done for me"_

_"Zuko, there's no need to repay me. I should thank you, you've down your fair share for me as well."_

_"I'm tired" Zuko said, suddenly changing the topic_

_"Well then," said Katara, getting up "you'd best sleep then"_

_"No, stay" Zuko held her arm, Katara blushed "I've been so lonely lately, I need a friend"_

_"Zuko of course I'm your friend, but I don't know about sharing a bed"_

_"Oh, I understand, its fine" and he turned to the side, obviously upset. Katara felt so bad for him, but she could hardly sleep in his bed. She was thinking about the pros and cons of leaving and staying when she looked up at Zuko. He looked so innocent, so small. Like a child. Her motherly instinct took over and she gave in and lay down next to him _

Katara woke up and jumped.

"Ah!" she yelled, Zuko winced

"Oh my goodness! Did I sleep here?"

"yeah..." Zuko replied

"oh dear"

"I'm sorry. It was my fault, I asked you to stay"

"no, its my fault for staying" she sat up and held her head in her hands

"I didn't realise you would find the idea of it so repulsive"

"what idea"

"the idea of waking up in my bed"


	14. Chapter 14

Zutara Chapter 14

by =aylin-c

Katara started at Zuko blankly. Zuko stare back expectantly. Suddenly, Katara began to laugh. She laughed so hard she cried. When she finally stopped laughing, she looked up at Zuko. His expression made her say,

"Shit, you were serious?" Zuko nodded "no, come on. No" Katara begged

"What?"

"What do you mean what? Look what you just said to me"

"Sorry" said Zuko blushing and looking away "I guess I though you would react differently"

"No, Zuko" said Katara apologetically, holding his arm "I'm sorry. I didn't realise, I" she couldn't think of anything that she could possibly say to make up for the obvious rejection. But why did she reject him?

Zuko didn't want to look Katara in the eye. He was utterly embarrassed by what he had just said. Katara was saying something but he wasn't listening. He was too busy beating himself up in his head. He felt a warm hand on his arm. He still wasn't going to look up. He felt his arm being pulled and snapped back to reality. He had been hoping it was all a dream. Before he could say anything, he was pushed back against the bed head with Katara against him. And she was kissing him. With a passion far greater than any of his dreams. He closed his eyes and kissed her back. When the kiss inevitably ended, Zuko kept his eyes closed. When he opened them again, Katara was sitting in front of him, waiting passionately.

"No Zuko, I don't find the idea repulsive, or disgusting, or horrible. I quite like the idea" she said with a wicked grin and left Zuko breathless. Was that real, had she really just said that. Zuko could not believe what he had just heard. He got dressed after waking from his daze and left the room with a lighter step.

Katara walked all the way to her room giggling. Her heart was fluttering so fast, she felt she would fly. She bumped into Toph on her way to her room.

"Hey there. What you so excited about?" Toph asked

"Oh nothing"

"Really, then why is your heart beating so fast"

"That's normal, it always happens when i..uh...when I train"

"Hmm. Training really? Where?"

"Outside of course"

"Oh, so why didn't I see you when I was out there"

"Well you couldn't have seen me"

"Don't get technical, you know what I mean"

"Fine so I wasn't training"

"Come on, tell me. I need some excitement, I've been so bored"

"Well ok. But you can't tell anyone"

"OK. Spill it" Katara leaned down and whispered in Toph's ear,

"I kissed Zuko" then she giggled mischievously, ran into her room, and shut the door.

"Whoa. I was so not expecting that" said Toph, quite surprised, and promptly went to tell Suki.


	15. Chapter 15

Aang patted Appa as the bison began to whine. The journey had been long but it was nearly over.

"Come on buddy. I know you're tired, not long to. Just hold on a little longer" he said, trying to comfort his old friend.

"Katara!" Katara heard a familiar voice call her name. Oh no, not now she thought. She turned around, she was in the garden watering the gorgeous flowers.

"Hello, Aang" she said going up to him and hugging him, smiling. "we've been waiting for you," she lied "we wondered when you would turn up"

"sorry, I was busy. Had things to attend to" he said, scratching his head. He sat down and they talked about what they had missed in each other's lives

Zuko watched through his bedroom window. Just when he thought things were going to be good. Just when things were going his way, Aang had to turn up. It wasn't that he hated Aang. Its just that, the poor child didn't understand, and he didn't want to hurt him. But when he looked at Katara smiling and laughing with him, he was hurt. Had she really forgotten about last night? Had it even really happened. Zuko went down to greet his guest.


	16. Chapter 16

Zuko saw the younger boy's lit up face instantly fade to darkness when he saw him

"Hello Aang. Welcome" Zuko said brightly.

"Hi Zuko. Sorry I couldn't come earlier I, I'm so sorry for your loss"

"That's all right. And thank you. Would you like to come inside? Have some breakfast?"

"Yeah actually," Aang's face was happy again, "I'm starving"

"Come on then" Zuko motioned Aang and Katara foreword

"Oh, can you get something for Appa. He's starving too"

"Sure. Servants!" Zuko called. And they went inside to eat

Katara was so happy to see Aang again. Maybe a bit too happy all things considered. But Aang didn't seem fazed at all. He seemed perfectly happy. Maybe he hadn't registered. Maybe he didn't know what she meant. She was sure she'd said it pretty clearly. At breakfast that morning, everyone seemed so happy. Toph was especially humorous that morning. She seemed happier than she had been in a while. Katara looked over at Zuko. He seemed upset and wasn't joining in with the group's conversations. He seemed to notice Katara looking and motioned to the door with his head.

"Will you excuse me? I've...I've gotta pee" she said and heard everyone laughing as she left.

A minute or two later, Zuko joined her in the dappled light of the corridor.

"What's the matter?" she asked him. Worried like a mother

"Aang" Zuko said curtly

"What about him"

"I forgot about him. I forgot you were still with him. Because, last night, I thought..." his voice trailed off

"But I'm not with Aang"

"What?"

"Didn't I tell you? before we came here, back home I told him I didn't want that anymore"

"You might have. But I might've thought it was a dream"

"You have dreams about me?" Katara asked raising an eyebrow

"No!" said Zuko, a little too quickly.

"Ok. Zuko. I found it hard to believe this morning too. But I'm pretty sure last night happened, okay? And I don't have any regrets. But that doesn't mean I'm ready for anything. And that doesn't mean I want anyone to know anything"

"Right, yeah. Nobody should know anything" he said trying to be serious, but Katara could hear the smile in his voice and smiled back

"we should go back in. They'll be curious. I'll go first"

Zuko could have danced. He was so happy he just wanted to jump, yell, and let the whole world know. But he wouldn't. He'd just have to keep it to himself. On the way back to the kitchen his happiness was drained again.

"Zuko"

"No. Go away. You have no place here"

"Neither do you from what I've heard"

"What do you mean?"

"I was told I'm not the Fire Lady anymore"

"No you aren't"

"So you quit huh"

"That has nothing to do with you. Now leave before someone see's you"

"Why, are you ashamed of me?"

"No but I'm guessing you're ashamed. After what you've done what kind of reception did you expect?"

"Zuko I didn't do anything I swear"

"I know what I saw"

"No, I honestly didn't"

"Mai just go away, I don't want to see you"

"But I didn't do anything"

"Even if you didn't Mai, I'm sick of you. Sick of the way you look at life, the way you treat people. I'm just sick and tired of you. Maybe I did just need an excuse to get rid of you. The chance came and I used it. You think it didn't tear me apart. You think it didn't kill me? well it did. And I'm not ashamed to admit that. Because I know what love is and I know it was there. You tore it apart not with your actions but with your attitude. Now I think I've found that happy place again, just leave. I honestly can't handle this right now" Mai was shocked. She was speechless. She started to cry and ran out of the palace. But Zuko didn't care where she went. Now that he'd just let everything out. He realised it was all true. He didn't care about Mai, and he was actually happy she was gone now.

Katara ran out into the corridor as soon as she heard the yelling. She was shocked to see Mai and instinctively went next to Zuko to protect him. From her and from himself. Nobody seemed to notice her so she kind of faded into the background. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. As Zuko talked, some quite shocking things came out of his mouth. But the thing that shocked her most was his comment about finding love again. Was he talking about her?

Zuko looked shaken. That appearance from Mai had really drained him. Katara went up to him and held his hand. He looked at her, he seemed fine.

"I'm sorry about that," he whispered

"Why? Why are you sorry to me?"

"I don't know"

"I'm sorry Zuko. I'm sorry on her behalf" Zuko smiled and inclined his head slightly, looking intently into Katara's eyes. Katara could see the fire burning in his eyes. She understood what he wanted and leaned in to kiss him. His mouth was on fire, and so were the hands that he put on her cool cheeks. Katara heard a wolf-whistle and looked down, blushing. From the corner of her eye she saw Zuko scratching his head. She smiled but kept looking down.

"Get a room" she heard Toph say as they walked back into the dining room.

Sokka felt like yelling at Zuko. He couldn't believe she could kiss his baby sister like that. Luckily Suki had held him back. When they were back in their room that night, Sokka was raging

"...and in the middle of the corridor! I mean seriously. Who does he think he is? She's not even old enough to have a relationship. And with him, ugh!"

"Sokka calm down. She's not a baby anymore. She's 16. We were 16 when we met. And I'm sure you had plenty of girlfriends before that"

"But I'm a guy"

"And what about those girls you went out with. Weren't they the same age as you. why is it ok for them but not okay for Katara?"

"Why are you sticking up for her anyhow"

"Because I think they look cute together"

"Ugh, you sound like one of those old, wrinkly matchmakers"

"Sokka!" yelled Suki, jumping on him and making him fall on the bed

"What?" he asked innocently

"nothing" said Suki with a smile and gave him a small kiss. Sokka rolled over so he was on top and they had a very eventful evening


	17. Chapter 17

"Come on!" yelled Suki toward Sokka, who was trying to pack as much food as possible

"I'm coming. I need nourishment for the trip. Gimme a minute" Sokka yelled back

"Sokka you had all day to pack"

"Yeah but I was packing other stuff"

"Guys, let's go already" said Toph

"Goodness, you're not ready either"

"Yes I am" said Toph, holding up a bag with hardly anything in it

"Where are all your clothes?"

"Here" said Toph, pointing at the bag

"Suki sighed and grabbed Toph's arm as she went to pack all Toph's clothes

Zuko was still unsure about the arrangement. He went over to Sokka, who was busy shoving a chicken in his underwear bag,

"Sokka are you sure your ok with this"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. Don't you find that I'm imposing on you"

"No! Don't be stupid. You're one of us man. And 'sides, it's not like your some Lordly Lord now. you're just a guy. And everyone will be happy to have you"

"Thanks Sokka. That means a lot"

"Well you can thank Suki. She told me what to say"

"Oh...need a hand?"

"Nah I'm done" said Sokka with a final grunt as the chicken finally went in the bag

Katara walked outside with Aang. He was saying something but she wasn't listening. She was feeling very nostalgic. This was just like the old times. Of course back then they weren't all happy like they are now, but they still found time to have a laugh. Seeing everyone packing and preparing for the journey sent her back to the Western air temple. When everyone was happy and Zuko was the odd one out. Trying to fit in and prove his worth, being ignored and pushed out by everyone else. It was like that again. This time, he wasn't sure if going with them to the Southern Water Tribe was such a good idea. Thinking he wouldn't fit in. But things were different now. Now they were accepting him, she was accepting him. Truly, and wholly.

"Katara?" she heard a faint voice say, "KA-TA-RA!"

"Huh, oh Aang, sorry. I was just thinking"

"What were you thinking about?"

"The old times"

"Yeah me too. There are some things I really miss about those days"

"Like how you would send me cryptic messaged in the things you would say about how you felt. Just like now"

"Heh heh, yeah" Aang laughed nervously

"I'm sorry, really I am"

"Naw, it's ok"

"I don't think it is. You keep bringing It up"

"I'm sorry. It's just, sometimes I forget. I forget it happened, and I forget it finished. I forget it's over. I keep thinking back to before it started, before you accepted me"

"Aang, I don't want to talk about this right now"

"I'm sorry"

"In fact I don't ever want to talk about it" she said as the joined the others, she felt a few eyes on her

"We dated, and now we're not. Big deal"

"Ok, I'm sorry"

"I didn't want to make this awkward but you kept bringing it up. Aang I love you, but not in that way. Please, can't we be friends"

"Yeah, we can," said Aang, pulling Katara into a hug. He was about her height. And she felt hard muscle under his clothing. It surprised her how much the young boy had grown in just 2 years.

Sitting on the back of the bison again, Zuko felt like he was years younger. He felt the stress of being a firelord had aged him immensely. But now he was free. Free to roam the world, talk to whom he wanted and just generally live life to the fullest. He was also free from Mai. He was now free to have any relationship he wanted. And if things were going the way he thought they were going, he might already have one.

When everyone was finally packed and ready to go, they said their goodbye's to Sezai, and off they went, with a

"Yip Yip!" from Aang.


	18. Chapter 18

"Gran-Gran!" Katara yelled as soon as they landed,

"Darling, how was your trip?" Gran-Gran asked as she hugged everyone else

"It was great" said Katara, glancing briefly at Zuko who was getting squashed in Gran-Gran's arms,

"But I thought you went for a funeral, you were crying when you left"

"Yes, we did. That was sad. But I enjoyed being with all my friends again"

"Was Iroh your uncle?" she asked Zuko

"yes" said Zuko looking down

"May the Sprits be with you" Zuko nodded

"Gran, Have you been cooking anything lately...you know...like today?" Sokka asked changing the topic to his favourite topic

"Yes darling" said Gran-Gran with a smile

"Great" said Sokka following Gran-Gran inside

"Gran-Gran!" Katara called. She turned around to face her granddaughter,

"Yes?"

"Where's dad?"

"Didn't you hear?" she asked gravely

"Hear what?" asked Katara urgently, immediately thinking of the worst case scenario

"He's gone to the North with the other warriors"

"Why?"

"There's been some trouble up there"

"What kind of trouble?" asked Sokka, chewing on a chicken leg

"Pirates"

"But there can't be that many pirates attacking at one time for them to need backup" said Aang

"Yeah, I didn't even know there were more than 50 pirates. They should be able to handle them easily" added Suki

"Well there must have been a lot of them. As soon as he got the letter, Hakoda rushed off. The situation must have been pretty urgent"

"We have to go there," said Sokka

"Yeah, come on. While we're packed already. Let's go" said Katara, climbing back on Appa

"No!" shouted Aang

"I agree. Aang and I will go. The rest of you stay here," said Sokka

"Why! I can fight better than the two of you put together," Katara said defiantly

"No is no Katara" said Gran-Gran

"But Gran" whined Katara

"No Katara. You and Suki stay here"

"What! I'm not letting Sokka go alone. Besides I need some action," said Suki

"No. You two will stay put"

"Gran you can't force us to stay here just because we're women" Katara said, Suki was nodding furiously

"Does that mean I'm going?" asked Zuko

"Yes" said Sokka and went to finish eating. Aang joined him and so did Gran-Gran. The girls and Zuko were left standing outside.

Zuko could feel the girls beside him fuming. He wished they could take his place. Not because he was afraid, not because he wanted to throw them into danger. Simply because they seemed to really want to go and Zuko was just preparing to sit comfortably and not worry about anything. He wondered what was going on in the north. Pirates. He had seen a few of them on his travels with Iroh. They didn't seem too evil or even good enough fighters. He concluded these must be a different type of pirate.

Katara sneaked out of her tent and looked around. In the dark of the night, she couldn't see anyone around. She quietly walked toward the boys' tent, looking around every now and then to make sure nobody saw her. Suddenly she stopped. She heard voices somewhere in the distance. She froze. However, thankfully the voices faded slowly into the distance. She kept walking. Finally, she made it to the tent. Hiding behind a pile of conveniently placed crates, she opened the tent slightly. Everyone appeared to be sleeping. She looked around. In the dim light coming from the dying lantern in the room, she noticed that closest to her was Sokka, next to him-in the middle- lay Aang, and on the far side of the tent lay Zuko. She closed the tent flap and sneaked over to the other side.

"Zuko!" she whispered. She saw him jump slightly and look around

"Zuko!" she called again, he looked around again but this time her saw her. She motioned with her hand for him to come out and went back out to wait for him.

Finally, he came out. Wrapped in a huge, thick blanket, he looked like a little child.

"What is it?" he asked

"I have a plan. But I need your help"

"What plan?"

"You have to promise not to tell anyone"

"Ok, what is it?" he asked again

"Okay, you know how I'm not allowed to go with you guys to the North Pole,"

"No!" exclaimed Zuko, a little loud. Katara clamped her hand over his mouth

"Yes" she whispered

"Why?"

"Because it's not fair. I'm as good, if not better, a fighter than all of you put together. And besides, I don't want to stay here while you go off to fight those big, bad pirates" Zuko was smiling

"As cute as that sounds, I'm not going to help you. I don't want you to be anywhere near those big, bad pirates"

"But Zuko"

"No. I'm not going to help you disobey orders, and most certainly not to go out and fight"

"Fine then. I'll just have to do it myself." She kissed him on the cheek and went back to her own tent. She was very annoyed with Zuko. But she knew he would help once she had already sneaked on.


	19. Chapter 19

"Zuko" He heard a voice call his name. He sat up in the darkness. looking around for the source of the sound

"Zuko" It called again. The voice seemed to come from the door. He saw a figure approaching him and he pulled the blanket up covering his bare chest.

"Who's there?" He asked. The figure came closer. He started to freak out. He was sitting in a Water Tribe ship in the middle of the ocean somewhere. He had nowhere to escape. As the person came closer, he realised it was a woman.

"Katara?" he asked

"Yes, its me" she said, sitting on the bed

"Why are you here?" he whispered furiously

"I told you i would sneak on"

"How did you get on? How did you know I was in here? Why did you come?"

"We'll talk about that later. Right now I'm really tired and I want to sleep"

"Well you better go to bed then"

"I'm sleeping in here silly"

"Here?"

"Yes. That's why I'm in here"

"But there's only one bed in here"

"What is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean"

"Remember that night, how you said something about me waking up in your bed"

"Yeah" said Zuko smiling

"Well?" Zuko moved over to make room for Katara who lay under the covers. Zuko was smiling as he rolled over to face her

"It's a bit cold"

"Yeah" Katara agreed

"Need some warming up" Zuko grinned. Katara moved away a little

"What do you mean?"

"I mean do you want a hug"

"Oh, sure" Katara smiled. Zuko wrapped his arm around Katara who turned around so she fitted in the curve of his body.

Katara woke up and let out a huge yawn, stretching her arms above her head. When she opened her eye she noticed Zuko propped up on her elbow watching her

"Hi" she said with a smile

"Hi" said Zuko, "How are you feeling this fine morning"

"Good. I can see you feel great"

"Yeah. Well, to be honest, I've always wanted this. I've always wanted to wake up next to someone, to see them smiling instead of seeing them having a tear streaked face"

"Oh Zuko" said katara, hiding her face in his chest. She could feel Zuko's pain. It was visible in his eyes. All the raw emotion from his childhood built up for a moment like this. He kept talking

"My mother, she was always crying. I never saw her wake up with a smile. I always wanted to be different from my father. I wanted to make my wife smile when she woke up. I never want to see tears, I wanted to see a smile" he seemed to notice Katara and snapped out of his daydreams. "I'm sorry"

"No. I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to live through all of that" Katara said. Katara noticed that Zuko didn't have a shirt on and suddenly felt very uneasy.

"I uh. I better hide before someone sees me." she said and got up. She certainly didn't want to be spotted before it was too late to turn back.

"Uh, yeah" Zuko said, looking down noticing the awkwardness of the situation for the first time. "I'll make sure to save you some food" he said smiling. As Katara got up to sneak away, she felt Zuko grab her arm. She spun around and he kissed her. Her eyes were open, she was completely bewildered. She felt his warm lips crushing against her own. His arms were around her and he was turning her around to face him fully. He pulled away to catch his breath. Katara closed her eyes and kissed him back. She put her arms around his neck and felt his arms wrap around her waist. She heard a faint voice getting louder,

"Zuko!" it was calling. Zuko didn't seem to hear so she was the one to pull away.

"I'll see you tonight" she said mischievously and went to the back of the room to hide behind in the wardrobe against the back wall.

Zuko couldn't believe he had just done that. He couldn't imagine where he had plucked up the courage to do that

"Zuko!" he heard a voice outside the door and snapped out of his dream

"Uh, Yeah!" he replied. Sokka came in the room.

"Hey man. Come on. We're having breakfast"

"Sure. Let me ah, let me just get dressed"

"Kay" said Sokka as he left. He got dressed and left for breakfast. As he was leaving he heard the wardrobe say

"Don't forget to get me food" and he smiled all the way to the dining room


	20. Chapter 20

The ship came to a stop and Zuko was starting to freak out. He wasn't scared of the pirates. It was just that he was terrified of the territory he was in. The was was long over, but being in Water Tribe territory still made him uneasy. Especially when the place was as extravagant as this was, and there were no friends here either. He felt Katara behind him. Sokka and Chief Hakoda had been very angry with her a couple of nights ago but everything seemed to have cooled down between them so now everyone was preparing for battle. Zuko wondered how it would all work. He looked around and their didn't seem to be anyone around. The last time he had come, the Northern Water Tribe had been a hustle and bustle of people. Now the streets were completely deserted with no villagers nor pirates to be seen.  
"What's going on?" he asked Chief Hakoda  
"We were told to go to the east side of the Tribe. There is a temporary protected camp set up there. The pirates have taken up the rest of town but they prefer to stay close to their ships on the other side of the 'burg. I don't think we'll see any but we need to be careful nonetheless. Zuko nodded. They didnt wait for the ship to set sail and headed straight toward the buildings. Keeping out of sight and trying to move as fast as possible. They were all wearing traditional Water Tribe army wear. Zuko felt odd dressed in blue. They slowly approached the camp and a few men came out to see who was coming. They recognised Hakoda and led Zuko and the group to the Chief's tent. Hakoda and Sokka went in with Zuko, Katara and the other men standing outside.

The other men all waled off and went in to some tents, greeting old friends and making new ones straight away. Zuko stood awkwardly and Katara pulled him toward a tent. The tent was empty and it was wonderful to be inside and away from the harsh winds outside.  
"Zuko. What is this?" Katara asked  
"What is what?"  
"What is going on between us?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"We slept together on the ship and we shared a few kisses and cuddles, but what are we going to do now? We can hardly do all that with my dad and brother around."  
"Then we can do it in secret" he said. Holding her tightly and kissing her. He felt he loosen up and kiss him back. Her lips, cheeks and nose were cold against his skin. She pulled away to take a breath.  
"Its amazing how you manage to stay warm, even n the freezing cold" Zuko grinned  
"Need some help warming up?"  
"Yes please" she said and he kissed her again. Their tongues twisting around in each others mouths.  
"I love you" he said. Suddenly nervous about how she would reply. They had acted like lovebirds on the ship. Hiding around corners and behind walls. Kissing like high-schoolers madly in love. In essence, they were. But being through what they had been through, zuko never thought of Katara as a teenager. And at nights, they slept in his bed. Cuddling each other throughout the night to keep warm. He loved it. He loved every moment of it. He loved seeing her smiling in the mornings. He loved every secret kiss and every passionate hug. But did it men the same to her. For him, at the moment. She was everything. And he had tried to show her that in all the kisses they had shared, but had it been enough. He thought it might have all moved too fast. They had travelled for 3 weeks and everything on the ship was amazing. He had only declared his feelings for her a couple of days prior to that when he had been a bit drunk. Had she believed him.  
"I love you too" she replied. Zuko's heart grew and he held her tighter. She pulled back slightly, brushing hair out of his eyes. He still had his arms around her waist and she was smiling. She put her arms back around his neck and whispered  
"I love you Zuko. I just didn't think you felt the same. I'm sorry I ran away that night. I love you" she said again and zuko couldn't help but smile. He felt his heart would explode form all the joy. "Zuko?"  
"Yes"  
"Let's go before they start looking for us"  
"Ok" said Zuko. Picking up the jackets they had thrown off sometime during their passionate kisses.


	21. Chapter 21

Zuko was half asleep when he felt a pair of strong hands grab him and tie him up. He felt dizzy from the sudden motion. When his eyes refocused he realised it was a big, oaf of a man. The man was a pirate. A couple of other men were also in the room tying up the soldiers in the tent with Zuko. Zuko was about to yell out but the man shoved a piece of cloth in his mouth and tied it there with some more rope.  
"Meh me mo" Zuko yelled through the cloth, but he knew there was no chance anyone could understand him.  
"Shut up and get yeh fire-y ass up before I whack yeh a good blow on yer fat head" the pirate threatened  
_How did he know I was fire nation? Oh wait, I was firelord, that could be a big give away. And most importantly, is my head big? I don't think its big. I hope Katara doesn't think its big_ Zuko thought silently to himself as he got up and was pushed outside with the other men.

Zuko looked around. It seemed his was the only tent that was attacked. He noticed Sokka standing near the front of the pack. Zuko and Sokka had been sleeping in the warrior tent. Zuko had been a bit upset by this because it meant he couldn't be with Katara at night. She was in the girls' tent. He hoped she was alright. There was no way he, Sokka, or the other men for that matter were going to get away from these men. There were about 50 of them and only 20 or so warriors in Zuko's tent. There were 10 tents for the warriors which meant 200 men for battle. The pirates had been smart in attacking one group. They wouldn't have any men to battle with and when it came time to battle, the Water Tribe would be 20 men down.

Katara pulled her collar tighter around her neck. She forgot how cold it was up North. She went over to the warrior tent Zuko was in. The morning wind made and icypole of her by the time she got there. When she opened the tent flap she was shocked. She had expected to find Zuko alone in the tent as the other men were all at breakfast. But instead she found nothing. The tent was completely deserted. She ran out, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, blurring her vision. She wiped her eyes and burst into the dining hall.  
"Dad!" she called. Everyone was shouting, laughing and happy as could be. No one seemed to realise that 20 men, including Zuko and her brother were missing.  
"Dad!" she called again as she got closer to him, "Dad, they're gone. Sokka, Zuko and the other men. They're not in the tent. They're not at breakfast. They're gone"  
"What?" said Hakoda and Chief Arnook at the same time. The room fell silent  
"What do you mean gone?" Arnook asked  
"They aren't in their beds. And they obviously aren't here," said Katara indicating the empty tables, "It was the pirates. They've attacked in the night. Dad," she said turning to her father, "Dad we have to go save them. Now"  
"We will katara but not now. We'll need some time. We'll attack in a few days"  
"A FEW DAYS! Are you mad! They'll die by then"  
"They'll be fine Katara"  
"No they wont. And if you're not coming I'll rescue them myself"  
"How are you going to take on 500 pirates all by yourself" Arnook asked  
"Don't underestimate me" katara said and marched out

Zuko, Sokka and the others were taken to the pirates camp on the far side of the Tribe. They had a few shabby tents set up here and there, and a fire in front of every one. The men were taken to one of the largest tents. Inside, it was quite warm and Zuko noticed a fire toward the back. There were great big rigs covering the entire floor and it was quite dark. They were all told to kneel down in front of a throne like chair with a pile of blankets thrown over it. The ropes around Zuko's wrists were rubbing against his skin and really hurting him. Because they were behind his back he couldn't see them but he was sure they were red. Suddenly, the blankets got up. In fact, it was a man. The man was wearing what looked like randomly coloured blankets or curtains. Behind him was a woman. She was wearing similar attire but of one colour and tightened around her waist. She looked slender. Her hair was tied back in a top-knot. The man stepped into the light. He too had his hair in a top-knot and had a mustache. His eyes were small and his jaw was massive. He looked quite frightening. Some pirates came around taking out the cloths in their moths as the leader began to speak  
"So, you lot are part of this lousy tribe they have here. Don't seem so scary to me"  
"You untie us and fight us one on one like a man!" yelled Sokka. He was immediately lifted up to his feet and dragged up to the leader. He took one look at Sokka then Slapped him hard. Sokka fell, whimpering slightly.  
"You're a weak little boy!" Sokka yelled.  
"Shut up and know you're place stupid boy" said the leader with a kick to Sokka's stomach. He turned back to the other men. He seemed to notice Zuko at the back.  
"Bring me the fire bender" he said to one of the men. Zuko was taken up to the front. He hoped he wasn't slapped too.  
"What are you doing all the way out here and out of your throne"  
"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked  
"Fire Lord Zuko. That's you isn't it. What's the big deal hanging around with this lot"  
"I'm not Fire Lord anymore"  
"Zuko?" the woman asked. Zuko looked at her. She had large golden eyes and a soft, round face. She was beautiful but looked aged.  
"Mother?" said Zuko.  
"Oh how lovely. A family reunion. Ursa, we talked about this. Go!" he ordered, but Ursa didn't move. Instead, she reached out and touched Zuko's scar.  
"Darling. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry" she said and pulled back. She turned her face but Zuko saw a tear roll out of her eye. He couldn't believe it. Was this really his mother. She looked older, and a bit different to how he remembered her, but, surely this was her. He had so many things to ask her. Why was she with the pirates firstly, but also, where had she been, why had she left. Had she never looked for him?

Zuko was too stuck in his own thoughts to realise what was going on around him. Outside, there had been lots of noise. Suddenly the noise got louder. There were people in the tent. They were the Water Tribe warriors. They were attacking and capturing the pirates. Zuko stared at them in awe. He had never seen a group of people work together so well. It wasn't like the fire nation army. Their movement weren't stiff, and they didn't stand in line. They all stood scattered around the room. Each bending water with fluid movements. They all knew the right moment to duck and move out of the way. The perfect time to send a stream of water across the room. It was amazing. Somebody behind him undid the ropes and he stretched out his arms. He looked around, poised to attack, but didn't know when, or who. So he stood back in the corner.

When the pirates were all tied up, Katara followed as they headed back to camp. Katara had looked around for Zuko and Sokka during the attack but hadn't seen them in any of the tents she had attacked. She hoped they were alright. When they got back. Everyone headed to the dining room to regain some energy and tell their side of the story. Katara instead went to Zuko's tent. She hesitated a second before opening the flap and going in.

Just as she had hoped, Zuko sat alone.  
"Zuko? Are you alright?" she asked  
"No"  
"What is it?" she asked sitting next to him and holding his hand  
"She was there. She was with them the whole time!" he yelled. The corners of his mouth quivered in frustration and angry tears rolled down his cheeks. Katara was about to ask who he was talking about but he answered before she could ask.  
"My mother. She was with the pirates. She dressed like them, talked like them, ate like them. I bet she even slept with them!"  
"Zuko, calm down. Are you sure it was her?"  
"Yes"  
"What do you want to do?"  
"I don't know. I've been thinking about her so differently for so long. I never imagined her to be like this. I didn't want her to be like this. A filthy _pirate_" he spat.  
"She was captured with the others, if you want to talk to her, you can"  
"No, I don't want to see her for a while"  
"I'm sorry Zuko" said Katara looking down to hide her tears  
"No. I'm sorry" said Zuko, holding her face up with both hands. He leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was salty from both their tears. Katara was pulled into a tight hug, he arms pinned to her sides. Zuko kissed the top of her head. And they sat like that for what felt like eternity for Katara, but it was very nice, sitting together with Zuko like that.


	22. Chapter 22

Katara sat at the back of the room. She felt silent tears run down her cheek as she watched them. She had come in on her father's orders to check on the prisoners when she saw them. Zuko, kneeling on the floor, had his arms in between the bars of the cell and was hugging his mother. Ursa's eyes were red but she was smiling. They sat like that in silence. Katara wished she could remove the barrier between them but she knew she would be severely punished even if she had the key.

She decided to leave them to have their moment so she wiped her eyes and went back out into the freezing air. She took herself on a tour through the city. It was amazing. The whole place was mad of ice. There were many levels to each building and intricate designs around the window and door frames of each one. There were small bridges connecting each building to another and wonderful sculptures placed here and there. She leaned against the rail of a bridge and watched as people passed underneath her, continuing with their daily chores. Everyone was stocking up on food after living in tents for a few days. People bumped into each other and said hi, catching up on the gossip. If something broke, or something needed to be built, a bender walking by would do it straight away.

She remembered her own home. The Southern Water Tribe was nothing compared to its majestic Northern sister tribe. The South had only a few houses. Each was made of the skin of animals that were eaten by the owners. Layers of hide were built up to protect from the freezing winds. She went inside a small tavern. The walls were lined with animal hides and there was a fire place in the middle raised on a structure of bones. She sat at a small table in the back corner, and ordered a cup of tea. It was nice and warm, but her fingers remained numb.

Katara rested her head on her hands and thought about Zuko and his mother. She thought it was wonderful that he had finally found his mother, after all these years. But somewhere deep in her heart she was jealous. She wanted a mother too. She wanted somebody to hold her tight and tell he everything would be alright. She wanted somebody to love her no matter what. She craved the love only a mother could give.

"Katara?" she heard a distant voice say, she snapped out of her dream and looked up, it was Zuko. "Katara are you okay?" he was stroking her hair and sat down next to her.  
"Yeah, I'm fine" she said forcing a smile.  
"Come on" said Zuko, suddenly getting up and pulling her arm  
"Where?" asked Katara, getting up. Zuko was smiling  
"You'll see" he said and dragged her out and down the street.

He took her to the prison. Katara was worried about why they might be coming in here. Zuko sat in front of his mother's cell.  
"See mum. This is Katara, my girlfriend" he said. Katara's mouth was open in shock. He was introducing her to his _mother_ as his girlfriend. She didn't know if she was shocked that she was being introduced to his mother, or the fact that he thought of her as his girlfriend.  
"Hello" said Ursa  
"Uh, h-hi" said Katara nervously sitting down next to Zuko.  
"I-I-I'm so sorry about this. About the attack, about how I'm in this state. I'm so sorry" she said, mostly speaking to Zuko.  
"No! I'm sorry. If I could free you, I promise I would, but...my father"  
"I'm ashamed of the trouble we've caused, I deserve to be here" she said, looking down.  
"It, it wasn't your fault"  
"No, it was. I suggested the attack. Our numbers had grown, and I thought we would get good money. I realise now its wrong, but I still did it"  
"You what?" said Zuko shocked  
"I'm sorry" said Ursa, still looking down  
"Why would you just attack people like that. What did they do to you? You told me they had captured you"  
"They had, but I was given a higher ranking when I.." she looked over at a big man sitting in the back corner of his cell.  
"No! I thought you were different. I thought you were my mother. But you're just a filthy pirate"  
"Zuko!" said Katara in outrage. She couldn't believe anyone would speak to their mother like that.  
"Katara I cried after she was gone. When I was alone I thought about her. I thought she was my mother. I thought she was the same woman that would hold me tight when I had night mares, that would read me stories so I would fall asleep again. She's not. This woman isn't my mother. I spent years looking for my mother, I had people out around the whole world looking for her. Never, ever would I have thought she would be like this" he got up and left. Ursa was crying. Katara patted her arm and gave her an apologetic look before running after Zuko.

Zuko sat fuming in his room. The curtains were still drawn so he sat in the darkness. He felt angry tears run down his cheeks and punched the bed. He heard someone come in  
"Zuko?" it was Katara  
"I'm sorry" he said, trying to distinguish her figure in the darkness, "come" he said, patting the bed. Katara sat down next to him. Zuko wrapped an arm around her shoulders, she held his other hand and kissed it. Zuko turned Katara and himself around and hugged her properly.  
"I love you. I'm sorry about that"  
"I love you too" she said and kissed him. Zuko returned the kiss. It was fierce and passionate. He put his hands on Katara's cheeks and held her tightly, still kissing her as passionately as possible. He pushed Katara back on the bed and she was smiling. He pulled off his coat and helped her get hers off. The room was significantly hotter. He leaned down and kissed her again. He felt katara nudging him and followed her movement. He rolled over so he was at the bottom and felt her tugging at his clothes. He helped her get his top off. He was now bare chested. Zuko ran his fingers through her hair-which had somehow come undone- as they kissed again. This time it was desperate. They took a breather and pulled off their shoes and socks. Katara got up and sealed the door with ice, then she pulled off her clothes, leaving only her under wear on. She had the traditional Water Tribe wrappings around her chest and between her legs. Zuko couldn't help but smile at her beautiful body, and felt his pants get a little tighter. She went up to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. She then grinned and pulled his pants down.

Zuko couldn't believe what was happening. He stood up and pulled Katara up with him. When they kissed again, He reached behind her and tried to undo the knot tying up the wrappings around her chest. In the end he gave up and burnt it. Quickly patting out the flames. Katara shivered. He pulled away and slowly unwrapped. It was like opening presents on Christmas morning. He threw the wrappings across the room and kissed her again, he hands were tugging at his underpants.

Katara lay still as Zuko rolled off panting heavily. She could feel tears building up but she used all her remaining energy to prevent them pouring out. She looked over at Zuko. He was lying on his back with his eyes closed, he was smiling. It had been amazing, sharing her first time with Zuko, but she had never imagined it to be quite so painful. She sat up tentatively. She winced when she moved. Zuko sat up beside her and looked at her uncertainly.  
"I hope it wasn't bad" he said  
"No, it wasn't bad, just painful"  
"I'm sorry"  
"It wasn't your fault"  
"I tried to be slow, but it was my first time, I guess I got excited"  
"First time!"  
"Yeah" said Zuko scratching his head  
"But Mai"  
"Nah. It never happened. She uh, she. Well we were never that close. We were married, but, the opportunity never arose I guess"  
"Wow!"  
"Heh. Guess I was saving up for someone special" he said smiling at her. Katara felt her face heat up and looked down. She seemed to realise she was naked for the first time and pulled the blanket around herself. She felt her face get even hotter.  
"You're so cute when your embarrassed" said Zuko and kissed her on the cheek.  
"I think I better go"  
"Why?" said Zuko, pulling his clothes back on  
"People will get suspicious. My dad..."  
"Wait a bit longer. Everyone's going to bed now. If you go now, they'll ask where you were. Go after their asleep, and you'll be in your room by morning and no one will know any better"  
"Okay. Can you turn around please?" she asked the now fully dressed Zuko  
"Why?"  
"I'm going to get dressed"  
"I just saw you naked"  
"But!"  
"Fine" he said laughing and turned around. Katara got up. She winced as she wrapped herself back up. She could hardly walk. She noticed blood on her wrappings and thought 'I'm a woman now' as she continued to get dressed. Zuko turned around and she looked out the window. The moon was a crescent shape, her favourite.  
"I love the moon like this. Isn't it beautiful?" she asked Zuko who stood beside her  
"Not really. No compared to you anyway" Katara giggled.

Zuko pulled off his coat and lay down on the bed. He pulled the blankets over himself. He patted the space beside him and Katara joined him. He rolled over and hugged her from behind. He was amazingly warm, she pulled off her coat.

They lay like that until morning. Katara falling asleep in the warmth of Zuko's arms.


	23. Chapter 23

Katara woke up in an empty room. She was in Zuko's room. She knew this because the bed was in the wrong place. She must have fallen asleep here. _Shit_ she thought. How was she going to explain this. She got up and got dressed. She wondered where Zuko was, there was no note, or anything left to hint at where he might be. She sneaked out the room and out to the balcony. The men's rooms were like a motel. All the doors were along a single wall and opened to the outdoors. Zuko's room was on the 1st floor so it opened onto a balcony or bridge type of thing. It was like a corridor that led to the stairs. She went down the stairs and quickly ran away before anybody saw her. She went into the dining hall. Everybody was sitting around, just finishing off their breakfast. She went over to bench at the far end of the room and grabbed some food, she sat down at an empty table. This was the unofficial dining hall. It was like a school cafeteria, except the tables were bigger and there were servants. She looked around the room but didn't see Zuko. She didn't see Sokka, Suki or her father either. She quickly finished her breakfast and went over to one of the servants,  
"Do you know where Zuko, my brother or father are?"  
"Chief Hakoda and Lord Zuko left together and Captain Sokka went out with his wife to the garden"  
"Thanks" said Katara and ran out to the conference room.

Why would her father and Zuko be together? What would they be talking about? The conference room was located in the main palace. This is where her father spent his time most days so she decided to check there first.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Hakoda asked Zuko as they walked toward the markets. Zuko was very nervous. He had no idea how to start. His mouth went dry and his palms began to sweat despite the freezing weather.  
"It's about Katara" he said nervously  
"I know"  
"You...know?" Zuko was shocked  
"You love her. I can see it in your eyes whenever you look at her. She feels the same way. I've seen the gentle brushes of the hand and the nudges and the table. I'm happy that you came to me first. I couldn't have picked better candidate." Hakoda turned around and held Zuko's shoulders, "Welcome to the family son. You have my blessing" Zuko was pulled into a brief hug.  
"What!" said Zuko is shock pushing Hakoda away, "You're just going to say 'OK go ahead, marry my daughter'. Even though I didn't actually ask, even though I'm Fire Nation even though.."  
"Yes" Hakoda cut Zuko off  
"but"  
"Aren't you happy?"  
"Well yeah but, it's just not right"  
"Do you want me to say no" said Hakoda with a stern face  
"no no no no" said Zuko shaking his head  
"Look," said Hakoda, "I just want my kids to be happy. And Katara is happy whenever you're around. I see you two trying to hide it but I think its cute that one of you smiles when the other enters the room. I'm always watching my children. My kids have been through a lot at a young age. They've been upset for a very long time. I just want them to be happy"  
Zuko nodded. He didn't know what he was supposed to say  
"I'm just going to tell Katara" he said in an offhand voice looking away. Hakoda kind of grunted and walked away. Zuko was shocked. He didn't know if he should be happy or not. He and Katara had thought they had been secretive but it turns out they hadn't. His heart was racing, he was so excited. He decided to tell his mum first and set out to the prison.

Katara looked everywhere but she couldn't find Zuko. After checking his room for the 3rd time she gave up and went in for dinner. She sat next to her dad at the main table.  
"Hey sweetie, where were you all day"  
"I was just walking around" she lied munching on her chicken leg  
"It's a big place, I'm surprised you didn't get lost"  
"Excuse me"  
"Ha ha. Just kidding"  
"Yeah. You'd better be"  
"Ooooooh!" a couple of people on the next table said in low voices. Katara gave them a look and they all went back to their meals  
"I haven't seen Sokka, Zuko or Suki today" she said, casually throwing Zuko into the question  
"I haven't seen Sokka, but Suki was in the ward getting ready for the birth and I bumped into Zuko this morning too. He had a few things to ask" What could Zuko possibly be asking her father. A few wonderful ideas popped into her mind but she didn't want to let herself get too excited for nothing  
"Like what?" she asked, trying to act natural  
"It's men's business, you wouldn't understand" Katara allowed herself to get a bit excited. Could Zuko really be talking to her father about what she hoped he was talking about?

Zuko stood in the middle of the room looking around. It was completely empty. All the doors were open and every cell was empty. All the pirates were gone, not a single one in sight. He went in his mother's old cell. It felt odd being on this side of the cell. He quickly got back out again. He noticed something on the floor. He picked it up. It was a note addressed to him in unfamiliar writing.  
_Zuko,  
We were let free today as you have seen. I am so sincerely sorry that I didn't get to see you one last time. We were told to leave straight away without talking to anybody. I barely had time to write this. I hope to see you again soon.  
All my love,  
Ursa_  
His heart sank. Where had they gone? He ran out to the dining hall. Dinner had been called 10 minutes ago and he knew where to find Hakoda and Arnook.

"Hakoda Arnook!" he called, they turned to look at him, "When did the pirates leave?"  
"This morning"  
"Why?"  
"We made a deal. They promised never to bother us again and gave us some bail money in return for their freedom. They won't come here again"  
"But my mother" he said in a whisper, nobody heard. He sat down at and empty seat at the end of the table. He noticed Katara looking at him worriedly, he managed to smile at her. He looked at Hakoda when Katara looked away. He was smiling too.

Katara was crying. Zuko had called her into his room after dinner. He had then knelt down on one knee and pulled out a betrothal necklace. The necklace was beautiful. It had a red stone on a golden band. The emblem carved on the stone was of the Fire and Water nation emblems together, with the swirls of the water tribe at the bottom and flames at the top. It was sort of heart shaped. When Katara saw it, she couldn't help but cry. The tears were tears of pure joy.  
"Oh my goodness! Are you serious?" Zuko nodded  
"Oh WOW!" Zuko stood up and got behind her, putting the necklace around her neck. Katara held it as she walked to the mirror. She checked it out from every angle. She managed to calm down.  
"Did you make this?"  
"Yeah. I would've asked you sooner, but it took me a while to make. I started that night, in my room. I ruined a few stones..."  
"Thank you so much" said Katara beaming. "Oh. But haven't gotten you a present"  
"A present?"  
"Yes, I think I have the perfect present" she said smiling mischievously pushing Zuko down on the bed. Zuko let out a low growl.  
"Best present ever" he said kissing her deeply


	24. Chapter 24

Toph pulled herself away and turned to walk across the well worn path. She wiped the tears from her cheek. There was an air of grief in the atmosphere. She pulled the little girl's hand and guided her to a row of gravestones. She couldn't see them, but she could feel them. Deep under the ground, slowly decaying. They lay next to each other and weeds grew over them. This was what they wanted. They wanted to be normal, not buried in a grand place.  
"Zu-ko" The little girl read, "Kah-tah-rah" Toph felt another tear when she heard the names. She missed them. They'd been gone for a few weeks and she frequently visited them. But lately it had been harder.  
"Why are grandma and grandpa's names' written here?" The little girl asked. Toph couldn't reply  
"Aunt Toph?"  
"Because this is where they are now. They've gone to the spirit world"  
"Is that why daddy was crying?" Toph nodded. She felt a strong arm around her shoulders.  
"Mum, I told you I would take you. Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?"  
"Korra wanted to come. She wanted to see"  
"Yeah Uncle Tenzin, I wanted to see" The teenager picked up the little girl and held his mother's hand and guided them away. Toph stopped. She turned and faced the far end of the cemetery. She knelt down and put her hands on the ground. She pressed down and felt deep down into the earth. She felt bones and flesh and she reached out further until she found him.

He lay with his hands on top of each other on his chest. His hands were over his wooden necklace. A single tear hit the ground and her son's arm was around her lifting her up. She wanted to stay, but she knew it wasn't doing her any good.  
"Goodbye Aang" she said and followed her youngest child out of the cemetery.

**A/N**

**so this is the final chapter. Sorry I didn't upload this story more regularly. Thank you for reading it. I'm sorry it ends a bit abruptly. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it.**

**if you are confused about the ending, let me just explain.**

**OK. so the gAang are all dead except for Toph. She is at the cemetery visiting them all. she starts at Aang's grave and moves over to Zuko and Katara. **

**They are laying side by side, she can feel their bodies with her bending abilities.**

**the girl she is holding hands with is Korra. In my story, Korra is the granddaughter of Zuko and Katara. This is possible because Katara is a water bender.**

**The teenage boy that comes is Tenzin. He is the son of Aang and Toph. This is possible because Aang is an airbender. So you see, it all works out.**

xx


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